I am Woman, See Me Soar!
by statkika12
Summary: 17-year-old Molly von Bruinwald is out to prove that men aren't the only great pilots in her family.


Seventeen-year-old Molly von Bruinwald took a deep breath as she sat in the cockpit. It was now or never.

She then heard a very familiar voice on the radio. "Are you ready for this, button-nose?"

"Hold on." she said. Molly then took a picture of Amelia Bearheart out of jacket pocket and attached it the visor of the Sea Duck. "Now I am. Ready as I'll ever be, sir." she answered with a smile.

"You know, Molly; it's okay if you're not, sweetie. We can always try this another day."

"I'm fine, Daddy." she protested to Baloo; she had grown accustomed to calling him her father, as he was truly the only father figure she knew for the last eleven years and since he legally adopted her shortly after marrying her mother.

"Well alright then. You are cleared for take off." Baloo replied over the radio.

As Molly turned on the engine and saw the propellers outside starting to spin, she realized how much she had riding on this. She remembered the day she told Rebecca that she wanted to be a bush pilot like Baloo and big brother, Kit.

"I still don't know, Molly, it's just so dangerous." Rebecca said as she looked at her daughter across the kitchen table.

"But, mom, what about Dad and Kit? Don't you worry about them flying too? And yet you let them go up time and time again."

"Of course, I worry about them! But that's different. They're . . . they're . . . "

"Men?" Molly interrupted her mother and gently smiled. "Mom, don't you remember what Grandpa told you when you first told him that you want to go to business school."

Rebecca's heart sunk. She knew her daughter was right but she just hated admitting it. "But the most danger I had to deal with was a paper cut." she tried to argue. Looking up into Molly's eyes again, however, she knew she couldn't deny her her dream any longer. "Oh, alright." she finally sighed. "But first, you have to convince your father. And that certainly won't be easy!"

And indeed it wasn't easy as took almost of year of arguing with and begging Baloo before he even budged. "Absolutely not! I don't want to hear another word of it!" was he standard reply for the first few of those months. In time, however, he came to realize how important this was to Molly and eventually saw in her eyes the same passion that he had as he was starting out as a young pilot.

And so, the time finally came. The plane soon started moving and in a matter of minutes, she pulled the yoke to ascend. Soon the plane raised towards the skies.

It appeared to be smooth sailing for a while, until . . . .

"Honk! Honk! Honk! . . . Honk! Honk! Honk!" In the distance, Molly saw a bunch of giant geese in a V formation going for a joy guide. "Honk! Honk! Hey, missy, watch where you're going! " said the leader of the group at the tip of the V. "Honk! Honk!'

Molly tried the best she could to maneuver through the flock and eventually sighed in relief once they past. She then heard Baloo through the radio. "M SD Cunningham. Come in, over."

"M SD Cunningham here, over."

"Are you, alright, sweetie? I saw those hooligans come after you. The nerve of them! Do you want to call it a day?"

"No, I'm alright, Dad, really. I'd like to go on."

"Well, then . . . alright. Just be careful, button-nose." And with that, Molly continued.

Shortly afterwards, however, the winds started to pick and Molly experienced some turbulence. The winds coming from the east were indeed so strong that they rocked the Sea Duck back and forth as if it were a rag doll.

"Woah! Woah! Woah!" Molly exclaimed as tried to gain control of the aircraft as best she could. She then looked outside and noticed that a small tip of the left wing has broken off. "Oh no! What to do now?" she thought to herself. Just when she was planning to radio in her landing, however, the winds passed and she continued on with the test flight.

Molly's biggest challenge was yet to come, however, when the air pirates somehow got past the guards at the cliff and made their way to the Cape. As the guards followed them to track them down, Molly found herself within the chase and soon heard the transmission between the guards and the pirates on the radio.

"This is the Coast Guard commanding you to land your aircraft immediately, over."

"Never! Zis is the Great Don Karnage and I am in ze Cape now, heading to Khan Industries and get my revenge!"

"Okay, we'll do this the hard way then." The Coast Guard responded.

Molly shrieked as gunfire from both sides flew past the Sea Duck. She knew that she had to land, but did not want to risk going down and crashing into one of the pirate planes flying below to dodge the Coast Guard.

On the ground, Baloo was anxious as ever as he was also hearing the radio transmission. "That's it! I have to go up! I have to help our daughter!"

"Baloo, no." Rebecca protested. "It's too dangerous and orders were just given for any unauthorized aircrafts to stay grounded. Besides . . ." she continued as she weakly smiled. "You taught Molly everything she knows and she'll be alright.

Rebecca then gently placed her paw on her husband's arm as both parents anxiously listened to the radio, hoping for the best.

After an air battle that seemed to last forever, however, the firing ceased as the air pirates decided to retreat and Molly could safely land. After she landed, Molly sighed with relief before opening the cockpit and getting out. She then quickly ran to her parents who were waiting by the sidelines.

"Molly! We're so proud of you! After all you went through up there, you still came out like a pro!" Rebecca exclaimed as she ran to her daughter and wholeheartedly embraced her. Molly then turned to her father, standing on the side and ran to him, giving him a big hug.

"Thank you, Dad. You know I couldn't have done this with you." Molly whispered as she embraced him.

"Oh, but it was all you, Button-Nose." Baloo replied, slightly tearing up.

"Hey there, sis; great job!" Kit then also came along with to hug Molly.

With her endeavor over with and her first flight considered a success, Molly soon went to obtain her driver's license and a surge of emotion came over her as she was signing it. The whole family then headed out home and watched the sunset encompass Cape Suzette on their way.


End file.
